In the previous article entitled: THE WORD OF FAITH BRINGS SALVATION, FOR SURE, BUT…YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE TRUTH! I have shared how easily I was duped into following “The Word of Faith Movement” For the benefit of those of you who have not had the opportunity to read it, let me quote a couple of eye-opening paragraphs written by Jack Savada regarding the practice of this then, to me, new fad in Christianity:
“Listening to Word of Faith movement preachers talk, an uninformed Christian might think they have been missing out on some great secret all their life.
The Word of Faith movement, commonly known as “name it and claim it,” “the prosperity gospel,” or the “health and wealth gospel” is preached by several television evangelists. In a nutshell, the prosperity gospel says God wants his people to be healthy, wealthy, and happy all the time.”
Yes, members of our assembly did really think that we have been missing “some great secret all of our life.” We went so far as to “condemn” other churches as lost, and thought that only the handful of us were truly saved and heaven bound. JackZavada describe me and fellow members of our assembly as “uninformed Christians” very precisely.
Eventually, the moneyed ministers were exposed in so many ways. There are those who were caught and exposed on moral ground:
The Rachel Maddow Show (TMRS) where Rachel highlights various televangelist infidelity and hypocrisy over the years to include the usual suspects, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Ted Haggard, Marcus Lamb, et al. For a more comprehensive list of evangelical scandals, visit Wikipedia, “List of Christian Evangelical Scandals”
Do we ever wonder why the Lord Jesus said the following:
Matthews 7:
[18] “A good tree is unable to yield wicked fruit, and a rotten tree to yield good fruit. [19] “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] “So then, by their fruits you shall know them – [21] “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens. [22] “Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ [23] “And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!’
Then, a new movement made an appearance on the Christian scene; it is introduced as “Back to Hebrew Root” theology. I learned about the movement by stumbling into a very convincing personage by the name of Michael Rood, whom I thought was a believing Jew in his very impressive priestly (?) attire, complete with abundant growth of head and facial hair. It turns out that he is an ex-marine gentile who made my curiosity ever growing deeper and deeper.
So, my wife and I discovered and joined a Messianic congregation in town. We went to shul (church) on Sabbath day (Saturday); with singing and doing what we thought as the Hebraic things – East facing ceremony at the start of service and reciting the “Shema Yisrael, Adonai elloheynu, Adonai echad!” Twice a month the Torah scrolls were paraded around the room for us to touch with our hands, and then kiss our hands. We joined the Pesach (Passover) celebration, and cleaned yeast and yeasted foods etc., and put them in the garage for one whole week (I don’t know how thorough my wife was). And don’t forget, we are supposed to eat clean foods only. So that created quite some hardship to our children when we meet for family dinner and eating out to Chinese restaurants.
The old story of swallowing everything new such as the Word of Faith movement; we now turn to the “Back to Hebrew Root” movement. You would have thought that we would have learned our lessons, then? No, we got hooked for over two years in that congregation. Then, the old habit of thinking that only those of the Messianic congregations are saved and the rest are “condemned” (again that word cropped up in our understanding.
Then it dawned on me to ask, “Why are we celebrating the spring feasts” when our Lord Jesus Messiah, had fulfilled them all, by His death, resurrection and ascension to His rightful seat as our eternal High Priest in heaven? Why are we participating in the Jewish celebrations and rituals, knowing they “tried” to do these impossible things since there is neither a standing temple nor rabbinic priesthood, which, in turn, obviously confirmed the finished work of Jesus Messiah? They are still doing them, because they reject the redeeming work through the sacrificial death and resurrection of the Son of God.
Now the bible clearly records: “…who, though they know the righteousness of Elohim, that those who practice such deserve death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. [Romans 1:32] By participating in the Jewish blatant rejection of Jesus Messiah, we not only “do the same” but also approve their stance!
On condemning, the following verse says it all: “And do not judge and you shall not be judged at all. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned at all. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. [Luke 6:37]
As I have said earlier, I was introduced to “Back to Hebrew Root” movement by stumbling into Michael Rood ministry, then broadcast in TV stations, but now through the internet. In his video “Michael Rood EXPOSED”, I decided to take an excerpt from a two hour video which I consider too long to be shown. Its description is as follows:
MichaelRood EXPOSED
The confessions of a cult leader
What began as an amusing, yet serious adaptation of a 12-step program testimonial entitled “Religious Systems Anonymous,” turned into a sobering recount of the darkest days in Michael Rood’s career as “a paid professional false prophet.” Grown men sobbed at the end of the unexpected and unannounced confession, which was rehearsed before an unsuspecting crowd.”
The following video by the repentant Michael Rood shows what I have suspected all along; Jesus had fulfilled all the Spring Feasts in His completed work on the stake and raising up from the grave and fifty days thereafter, as He had promised, the Holy Spirit was poured down and indwell with the believers who are justified by faith, not the work of the Torah, of which the all the Jewish feasts are formulated.
Messiah Fulfills the Passover”
Our Creator has shown us “the end from the beginning” through the prophetic shadow pictures embedded in His Feasts, which He commanded Israel to keep forever. Michael reveals the beauty of these Feasts and clearly details their past and future fulfillment. The Messiah fulfilled the Spring Feasts of the LORD (Passover, Unleavened bread, First fruits, Pentecost) at his first coming – it is recorded in the first four Gospels. The Messiah will fulfill the Fall Feasts of the LORD – and its future fulfillment is detailed in the fifth Gospel: the book of the Revelation.
Mark 16:16 “He who has believed and has been immersed, shall be saved, but he who has not believed shall be condemned.
Thus, we can be rest assured in the following:
Romans 8:
[1] There is, then, now no condemnation to those who are in Messiah Yeshua, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. [2] For the Torah of the Spirit of the life in Messiah Yeshua has set me free from the law of sin and of death. [3] For the Torah being powerless, in that it was weak through the flesh, Elohim, having His own Son in the likeness of flesh of sin, and concerning sin, condemned sin in the flesh, [4] so that the righteousness of the Torah should be completed in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Then, is there a feast that will remind us of the finished work of Jesus, the Son of God? Yes. There is!
1Corinthians 11:
[23] For I received from the Master that which I also delivered to you: that the Master Yeshua in the night in which He was delivered up took bread, [24] and having given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat, this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” [25] In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the renewed covenant in My blood. As often as you drink it, do this in remembrance of Me.” [26] For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Master until He comes.
That is what our Lord taught us how to appreciate His death. Are we limited only to once a year celebration? No! Only unbelieving Jews celebrate their flight out of Egypt once a year. For the believers, we are instructed to partake symbolically the broken body and the shed blood as often as required, only we are warned not to partake this solemn act of remembrance under the following condition:
[27] So that whoever should eat this bread or drink this cup of the Master unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Master. [28] But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. [29] For the one who is eating and drinking unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Master. [30] Because of this many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. [31] For if we were to examine ourselves, we would not be judged. [32] But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Master, that we should not be condemned with the world. [33] So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
Do not participate in the rituals of those who “has not believed” for he is condemned already; Jews and gentiles without exception.
Aaron Halim
